All The Right Reasons
by StandingOnTheRooftops
Summary: 3x4. Cannon plus sligh AU-ish-ness. Quatre's lied about something... but you've gotta read to find out what. COMPLETE!
1. Chapter 1

**All The Right Reasons**

**This is **_**NOT**_** AU. Well, it does require a little rethinking of the whole series, and I'm going by the fact that EW never happens, or at least not the way it does in the actual movie.**

**I don't own them, and I'm just having fun, so don't sue me or anything.**

**This is a 3x4 fic, and I'm throwing in a little bit of hinting at 1x2 just for the yaoi fans. Yeah. You heard right. This is not AU, it is 3x4, and it is mainly het. Can you guess what's going to happen?**

**There will be eleven chapters exactly. Why? Becasue I'm going by the Nickleback album here. eleven songs, although they're not in the order they are on the CD. And even though the songs really have nothing to do with the chapters... some don't even really fit that much.**

**Warning... the rating might go up for later chapters.**

**Side Of A Bullet**

**"And in the wake of his mistake, so many lives are broken..."**

Trowa had not left his side. They'd barely made it down to the hospital on Earth... Quatre had almost died. But he was stable now... for the moment. And Trowa had firmly planted his chair next to the bed, and had not moved it in seven hours. Damn that Catalonia girl! No amount of pain or suffering or emotional turmoil excused her actions. Not even the zero system was a good enough excuse for what she'd done to Quatre... at least not in Trowa's eyes.

He didn't really know what his feelings for the blonde were, but he knew they weren't normal. Trowa had never thought of himself as anything other than straight. But every day within the presence of the sweet Quatre made him question that. He felt a definate attraction. Physically, mentaly, emotionally. But he most certainly didn't understand it.

He barely glanced up when the nurse came in, followed by Duo, Heero, and Wufei. They were all growing close, and he felt a special bond with each boy... but nothing comparing to what he felt for the pale blonde laying nearly lifeless on the hospital bed. He loved Quatre, he guessed. That was the only word to describe how he felt. Love.

"How is he?" Duo asked, running his violet eyes down Quatre's bundled up form.

"Fine, I guess," Trowa replied. "Stable at least." He looked at the nurse. "Right?"

The nurse seemed a little distracted as she began checking fluid levels in the IV, checking the level of the oxygen that ran in a clear tube up to Quatre's nose, checking the various wires connecting the young boy to the life sign monitor.

"Oh, Ms. Winner will be just fine in a day or two if we can find a blood donor that matches her type. Just give a few hours for the medications to wear off, and a little time to..."

"What?" Heero asked, interupting. He tone was so cold, so abrupt, the nurse looked up at him, her brown eyes confused.

"I don't know what you mean, sir," she said politely.

"You said 'Ms. Winner,'" Wufei pointed out. "You must have the wrong room. This is Quatre Winner's room. That is a boy right there."

Each Gundam pilot nodded in succesion, until finally the nurse looked around, then at Trowa.

"I'm sorry, but I think you must be mistaken." She picked up the file. "Quaterina Raberba Winner. Age 15 years. Birthday December 12. It's all on the file we pulled up using her DNA." She looked from the file, to Quatre, then to Trowa, whom she knew hadn't left the room, and had been the one to carry Quatre into the hospital. Something suddenly dawned on her, and she stared at Trowa.

"Surely... You knew, right? I mean... you know her. You were the one to bring her in, carrying her. We... all the nurses on duty... we thought it was romantic. We thought you were her boyfriend. Don't tell me... don't tell me you thought she was a boy!"

Trowa didn't speak... he was finding it hard to beleive what his ears were telling him. That was exactly what he had thought.

"You... You lie!" Duo gasped, eyes wide.

She looked startled. "Most certainly not! I was in the operating room! Trust me, I know. The person lying in that bed is a fifteen year old girl!"

The whole room was silent for a moment as the nurses words started to sink in. And then Rashid burst into the room.

"Master Quatre!"

"SHHH!" The nurse might have been distracted, but it didn't dull her ingrained response when someone yelled in a hospital room.

Rashid bent his huge, burly frame over the bed, dwarfing the small body that lay there. He gently brushed pale hair away from a pale face.

"Rashid," Trowa asked, his voice painfully weak, uncharacteristically emotional. "Please tell this nurse that..."

"How is she?" Rashid whispered, daring a glance at the nurse and completely ignoring the former clown

"You know her?" The nurse asked. Trowa gulped, finding it suddenly hard to breath. Duo was staring at Quatre in openmouthed shock. Heero was unreadable, and Wufei looked a little confused.

"Yes... I am her legal guardian. I'm supposed to take care of her. It hasn't been an easy task... and I find her gone more often than I find her close."

The nurse nodded. Nothing could surprise her at this point.

"Very well then. Mr. Barton here has filled out some of the paperwork, but we will need you to finish it. Most of her information we gathered from her previous records. Does... does she have any blood relatives? It is imperative that we know this... we need to find someone with the same blood type. She's lost alot of blood. And it may not be possible to save the kidney. She may need a transplant"

Rashid nodded. "She has some sisters, but they're not close right now. I don't know of anyone else with her blood type." He looked at Trowa.

"What about one of you four? She talked about you so much. Surely one of you would be willing..."

"I don't have Quatre's blood type," Duo frowned, finally recovering enough to think rationally. "No matter wheather she's a girl or a boy... I'd give anything to save him... her... God knows she's saved my life enough times. But I know I don't have the right blood type. She's pretty rare."

Heero nodded. "I only have one kidney. I am a universal donor, though. But I can't help her."

"Wufei?" Duo turned liquid indigo eyes to the young chinese man.

He shook his head. "I am anemic," he said with an almost sad shrug. "I don't know if we're the same blood type... but there would be an eighty-seven percent chance that my blood would just make it worse."

Heero looked at Trowa.

"Trowa. You are the same blood type. I read your file. You could save her."

Trowa looked up, and Heero was surprised to see tears in the clown's emerald eyes.

"He lied. He lied to me. I... I thought..." Trowa stood up, glanced down at the young man... young woman... on the bed. I loved him, he screamed silently. I thought he loved me. "It was all a lie!"

And then he turned and left the room.

**Author's Notes: A little OOC for Trowa, I think, towards the end. And it requires thinking about the whole series in a different light. But it'll get better. I hope! But remember, this isn't exactly an AU. And oohhh... Will Trowa save Quatre? Or will he forget her?**

**Read and let me know what you think.**


	2. Chapter 2

**Far Away**

**"This time, this place. Misused, mistakes."**

Quatre's eyes slowly blinked open, and she groaned. Oh, Allah, it hurt! Everything! Why did it have to hurt so much? As her eyes grew adjusted to the dim lights, she noticed she was not alone. She was in a stark hospital room, but she had company.

Oh, Allah! No!

There was Duo, sitting in a chair beside her, dozed off. Heero was proped against the door. And even Wufei, meditating by the window in the corner. Rashid perched on a stool on her other side, completely alseep- which meant that her secret was more than likely ousted. But her heart nearly broke in two. There was no Trowa.

Quatre's eyes met Heero's cold, prussian blue eyes and she shivered. There was mistrust there... well, more mistrust than usual for the perfect soldier.

"Heero..." Her voice was cracked, and her throat felt dry. He pushed away from the door, grabbing a bottle of water with a straw stuck in it. Slipping quietly between Rashid and the bed, he brought it up to her lips. She drank greedily, and when she finally leaned back just a little, she had to sigh. "Heero... I'm so sorry."

And she was. Sorry she'd let herself get so injured and cause them worry. Sorry she'd had to lie to them for so long. Sorry she'd let her very sensitive heart get tangled up in this sticky group of misfits- even though she found herself fitting right in. Sorry for everything she'd done. A single tear slid between her closed eyelids.

"We all do things we are sorry for," the perfect soldier softly said in a moment of un-Heero-like compassion. "One cannot pass judgement or deny forgiveness when one's own regreats are just as sinful." Quatre met his eyes once more, teal meeting prussian, and she tried to fathom where this sudden philosophical part of him was coming from. Heero made a justful point, but did he really beleive it? And why would he offer words of comfort?

And then Duo woke up.

"Hmm? Huh?" His violet eyes locked onto Quatre's face. "Quat! Hey, you're awake! Awesome, they weren't sure you'd make it... but I knew you'd wake up sooner or later. Too damn stubborn to do anything else."

"Well," she replied, a small smile twitching her lips. Somethings never changed, "I couldn't let you tease poor Wufei to death, now could I?"

Duo laughed uproarishly, waking Rashid and Wufei in the process.

"Winner," Wufei said unemotionally when he saw Quatre.

"Master Quatre," Rashid exclaimed, nearly knocking the stool over in his excitement. "You are awake. This is most fortunate. You've had me, and Iria worried so about you. A young girl's body is not meant to go through such torture."

Quatre gave a little flutter of her hand, not paying attention to her burly bodyguard, before looking around at her friends. "So... you know?" She asked meekly, already knowing the answer.

"What? About the whole Quatre's really a girl and not just a very, very feminine boy thing?" Duo asked dryly. "Yeah." To Quatre's surprise, he didn't seem mad, or angry, or upset, just accepting.

"And you are all fine with it?"

Duo nodded. "It'll take a little getting used to, but hey, once you've won a war... there's not much you can't do."

Heero nodded. "Affirmative." He shrugged. "No matter whether you are a male or a female does not change the fact that without you... this war would not be over."

"And you, Wufei?" Quatre asked the silent Chinese man. He didn't say anything, but Duo grinned.

"I think this war has opened his eyes a bit. He's still trying to accept the fact that women can fight too. I beleive he's still trying to figure out how you hid it so well. We never even had a clue."

Quatre tried to smile, but it didn't reach her eyes. She scanned the room over and over and over. "What... where...?" she couldn't bring herself to ask that dreaded question. The one that had been lurking in her mind since she'd awoken. But it seemed as if Duo could read her thoughts.

"Mr. Unibang left in a huff after the nurse let the whole 'girl' thing slip. He'd stayed by your side for seven hours! He even carried you all the way here himself! But after that little slip up... he got hung up on the fact that you lied to him and he stormed out of here," Duo said, not sugar coating his words. But his voice became softer, his eyes glowed a little. "You know, he cares about you. It's so obvious."

**AN: Kind of just left it there... but it'll get better- I promise. Now, you just have to reveiw if you want to read Quatre and Trowa's conversation. Next few chapters are likely to be short, but will make sense. So reveiw! Reveiws are like puppy treats to me, so FEED ME!**


	3. Chapter 3

**AN: No, I haven't disappeared off the face of the earth. Sorry for the wait... here's chapter three...**

**Fight For All The Wrong Reasons**

**"I guess it wasn't really right. I guess it wasn't meant to be."**

She felt his presense before she even opened her eyes. She could feel him there, across the room, and she could feel his eyes staring at her, looking at her. Her eyes fluttered open and met his. Aquamarine to Emerald.

"Trowa," she sighed, suddenly feeling better just because he was there. Even if she had a feeling this wasn't going to be a pleasant conversation. Even though she had the feeling she'd never recover from this- and she didn't mean her physical wounds.

He didn't say anything, just stared at her, a look of betrayal in his eyes. It broke her heart.

"Trowa, I'm so sorry. But I had to."

"You couldn't tell me the truth? I trusted you. And you lied."

"You wouldn't have understood." She kept her voice calm, even as his nearly broke with the pent up emotion. For once, she was the calmer of the two. For once, she was calm as he fought with emotion breaking free.

"Did you know that? I could have. I placed my life in your hands."

"And I protected it." She retorted. "Would you have trusted me if you knew what I was? Would you have placed as much trust, as much faith, in a fifteen year old girl trying to do a man's work as you would have in the only son of a billionaire?"

"I... I..."

"See?" Her auamarine eyes sparkled with emotion. "You can't give me a definate answer. The answer is no. It's always no. That's one of the reasons why I lied. No one would have let me do anything. It was hard enough being a boy... but do you think they would have let a little girl, no matter how smart or strong she was, pilot a weopan like Sandrock?"

"No, but..."

"No buts. It's simple, Trowa. The only way for me to fight was to be a boy. And it wasn't like it was my idea anyway. My father hated me, Trowa. Attempt after attempt and it was always a girl. And finally, my mother got pregnant. ANd what would you know, another girl! He hated me. So then one of my sisters had the plan that he could pass me off as a son, make me pretend to be something else. I've been having to play this game for years. I got sick of living under him, living under that lie. And then I ran off to fight, and the lie proved to be needed again, so I kept it. I hated it. I hated lying to everyone." Her voice rose, craked with the emotion. She fumed, her heart hurting with not only her pain... but his too. "But no one would have understood it. Do you think they would let me fight? Do you think they would have trusted me to lead them? A girl?"

"No," he admitted, meeting her eyes. His emerald orbs gleamed with unshed tears. Tears that he would not let fall. "But I am not like them. I... I thought you trusted _me_?"

He was hurting. Surely she could feel it with that damned empathic heart of hers. She lie there, trying to reason with him... and a part of him understood. But apart of him didn't... wouldn't. He'd placed his life in her hands... and his heart, too. The first she'd protected dutifully. The second... she hadn't even noticed.

He had thought she trusted him.

"I did," she said, her voice weak, but strong with conviction. "I do. Trowa... I think I trust you more than anyone else on Earth, or in space... I think I may trust you more than Rashid. He... only he knew. Well, him and Iria, and one or two of my sister- but not all of them know. Not even the Mag's... Of anyone not family, only he knew. But Trowa... you have to know that I trust you. I'd trust you with my life... and I have."

"But not your heart?" It was out before he could stop himself. She looked lightly shocked, her eyes shadowed. He silently cursed himself for that blunder.

"Is... is that the topic under discussion?" She questioned softly, her voice full of emotion, but more curiosity than disqust, like he'd thought it would be Really, he thought, he'd fallen in love with a boy... who'd turned out to be a girl. Things were very... weird, to say the least. So, he remained quiet until his silence spurred her to speak once more. "Trowa... I can feel emotion and pain... but I don't know what's in another person's soul. I can't unless they tell me. I know you're hurting... I know it's painful for you, and that you feel like I betrayed you... and I did. But... I just want you to answer that one question. Is love the topic under discussion?"

"No," he said heatedly, turning. But he spoke loud enough as he left for her to hear him.

"But maybe it should have been."

**AN: Short, like I said it would be. Next chapter is shaping up to be twice as long, though. And sorry for the delay. Starting a brand new full time job in a bakery. Between that and raising a toddler and my training my boyfriend (don't laugh. all girls need to train their gusy), I don't get much time lately to just write- and post it. But I'm managing. So remember to reveiw. (gives you 'puppy-dog face') Puppy treats, please. See? I'm begging!**


	4. Chapter 4

**Animals**

**"By now, no doubt that we were heading south."**

Wufei had visited once in the past two days. Heero had come by quite often... and Duo had barely left her side except to go eat or get a few hours sleep in an actuall bed, so she hadn't really been lonely waiting in her quiet, sterile hospital room. Duo's laughing presense seemed to curb the overlying tension in the room. Two days and a donor had still not been found.

Quatre had hoped to be able to move around by now, but she was growing weaker and weaker with each passing hour. She knew the odds of finding a perfect donor during the aftermath of the war. And she knew they weren't good. Dorothy had offered, as penance for putting Quatre in her predicament, but the Catalonia girl hadn't been a match. It seemed that there were only two people available on the whole planet, or in the colonies.

But Iria was far away, too far to make it in time. And Trowa... it pained Quatre to think about him. To think about the turmoil he was in right now... to know that even as her heart ached with loving him, he hated her.

No... he worse than hated her. Trowa would give his life for anyone, even an enemy who'd proven himself worthy. But he would not even see her, speak to her. He'd left, and not come back.

She closed her eyes, and she could see him. The clean, strong lines of his body. The beautifully sculpted face. The soft caramel hair. And his clear, impossibly green eyes. Even the memory of him could take her breath away. She could let herself be blinded by the light of how much she loved him... but her heart was broken. He'd never trust her again. He'd never love her again... and he had loved her, she thought. She was stupid and blind for not seeing it before- before it was too late. Now, she could understand why he was so hurt.

He'd loved her... or rather, he'd loved the boy she was. Part of her rejoiced in knowing he'd loved her, if secretly and briefly. But part of her weeped. He'd fallen in love with "Quatre" the boy, the gundam pilot. He had fallen for her, because she'd never acted any different than she was... but he had fallen for someone else completely. He didn't even know 'Quaterina' the girl, though her lie and her own self were one and the same.

The only thing she'd ever lied about was her gender... but somehow, it had changed everything about her.

But the only thing she was sorry for was hurting Trowa. She could deal with every other consequence... but Allah, she couldn't deal with him hating her. Somehow, everything was fine when she was just another boy. Somehow, as a boy, the phrase 'little one' wasn't so personal, sentimental- just another name. But she had noticed how in their last conversation... he hadn't uttered it single time. He always called Quatre the boy 'little one'. So what was so different about Quatre the girl? Why should it make any difference? She was still herself, no matter wheather she was acting a girl or a boy. Everything she'd ever said, everything she'd ever done. It hadn't been a lie. It was her. Why should that one thing make so much difference?

She was so caught up in her thoughts, she barely noticed the nurse slip in, change the IV.

Quatre's eyes flickered at the bag. They'd changed her prescription- again. And upped the dosage- again.

"How long, nurse?" She asked.

The young woman frowned. "I don't know what you mean."

"Don't play coy. You're upping the painkillers, even though they deteriorate my health. Which means you've decided that the best course is to ease the passing, not prolong the inevitable. How long?"

"I... The doctor said another day at the most." she sighed, dropping the ignorance act. "I am sorry. We are doing everything we can to find a donor. Even with your family expediating the process... it does little good when there is no donor available."

Quatre nodded silently. She had expected as much.

The nurse sat on the side of the bed, placed a comforting hand over Quatre's.

"Any regreats?"

Quatre thought. All the lives she'd taken. All the choices she made.

"No. Only one."

"Just one?"

"I regreat... I never told him I loved him. I regreat that the last memorie he'll have of me is of an arguement."

The nurse nodded slowly. "Sometimes, it might be easier not to remember him at all. That kind of pain... it can't be helped by this," she picked up the IV line.

"No. It can't. But I wouldn't trade a thing," Quatre said. "If I had to lie again... I'd lie. I might tell him a little sooner, tell him myself- but I'd lie. And if I had to choose again... I'd choose him. I'd choose love. Every time. All the pain. I'd choose to love him all over again."

Duo was setting beside her through the night. She was awake, talking and smiling. And then...

"Duo... I'm tired. I'm just going to... go... hmmm.... sleep..."

Her head lolled to one side, and Duo paniced as the lifesign monitors started beeping.

"She dosen't have but a few more hours... if that," The nurse said sadly. "All we can do is wait, and hope her passing is easy."

Duo let out a sob, burrying his head in the hospital bed. And the nurse left, and this is how Heero found him, twenty minutes later, still sobbing his heart out. How many times Duo'd had reason to cry throughout the war, he thought, but never a single tear. And now, with the prospect of a newfound, a close friend dying- he weeped. The braided boy was an enigma.

"Shh..." Heero said, placing a comforting hand on his shoulder. He was unused to displays of kindness, compassion, or affection, so he felt very awkward. "At least she won't be in any pain anymore."

"She's not afraid of pain." Duo said, hiccuping back a sob. "She welcomed it, almost. The only pain that ever hurt her was waking up and finding Trowa gone."

Heero nodded at the unusually solemn, heartfelt words coming from the braided boy. The words were genuine... and true.

"At least she won't have to deal with him hating her," Heero sighed, grasping at anything to make Duo stop crying. And it worked, sort of.

"But he dosen't," Duo said sharply, jerking up. "He loves her Heero... we all know it. We've known it since the first time we saw them together. There... there couldn't be anyone more perfect for each other... flaws, lies, and all. They belong together."

"Tell him that," Heero snorted, uncharacteristically. Duo blinked, wiped the back of his hand across his eyes. Heero stared down into those suddenly clear, vivid violet orbs. Duo's voice was calm, if a bit unsteady still, when he spoke.

"Maybe someone should."

**AN: A bit longer than I was planning. Oh well. I think that the whole song excerpt thing is working. Especially for the mood I'm trying to set for the story. What do you think?**

**And what about the little bit of Heero/Duo hinting? Is it working or should I drop it?**

**And poor, poor Quatre. She's dying. And poor, poor Duo. All he can do is watch. Right?**

**Oh, and so sorry about the delay, I tried to get this one up as soon as possible, I pretty much just posted two at once. Sorry, sorry, sorry. My life is really busy right now. Sorry... and don't forget the puppy treats, or else I'd have no motivation to write at all.**


	5. Chapter 5

**AN: Alright, no more excuses. Here it is, chapter five....**

**Savin' Me**

**"Heaven's gates won't open up for me. With these broken wings, I'm fallin'."**

Trowa nearly screamed aloud... nearly... with the pain rushing through his head and his heart. He twisted the thin silver chain in his fingers, staring at the simple silver charm on it. Well, glaring is more an appropriate term. From the outside looking in, one might think that it was the chain and charm that caused his glaring and obvious pain. Oval, with the simple insricption _mon ange'_, wrote on the side. He'd bought it on a whim a long time ago it seemed... when he didn't remember anything- when he didn't remember _her_. The peddler had stopped by the circus, and the simple little bracelet had called to him. It had reminded him... of home, he thought bitterly. Of love, of belonging. And once he remembered, he'd never had a chance to give it to the one person he thought of... the person it had reminded him of.

And now, Quatre was gone. Sure, there was someone sitting in a hospital with that name... but he'd fallen in love with a lie, with someone who didn't really exist. And the falling had upturned his whole way of thinking.... and now, the revelation had upturned everything all over again.

But it was always back to Quatre.

The charm twinkled in the dim light of the shuttlecraft. Now... now, he didn't know what to think. He didn't want to beleive that his Quatre... his little one, could be capable of such deception... but there was the truth... lying in that hospital bed.

The vid-phone on the table in front of him beeped. Without even thinking, he answered. Duo and Heero's faces popped up. Heero was a stoic as usual, but with an odd gleam in his eyes almost like he wanted to cry. And Duo... was a wreck. There were dried tear tracks down his cheeks, and it looked like he'd had a good long sobbing.

Something was wrong.

"Trowa..." Heero started,

"I don't want to hear it," He said. He didn't want to hear about how stubborn he was being, how stupid. They just didn't feel what he felt. Duo could forgive... that's just the way he was. Heero couldn't hold anything against anyone with all his demons, all the bad things he'd done. But... none of them had been as close to her as him.

"She's dying," Duo said softly, almost on a hiccup.

Trowa's breath caught. It had been bad, real bad... but.... dying? No. He couldn't... She couldn't... No... no...

"She needs a kindey transplant," Heero said cooly. "I've donated blood, but that can only help her so much. Iria's on her way, but it'll take her another four days to get here. Quatre's in a coma."

"She dosen't have a day," Duo hiccuped. "I was there, she just went to sleep. And the doctors say she won't wake up. They say...."

"She won't see the sun rise tomorrow," Heero finished. Duo'd broke down again, and Trowa watched as Heero awkwardly placed a hand on his shoulder. It was all too much, Duo took off and ran out of the room, leaving Heero and Trowa there.

"Heero," Trowa began softly, not really knowing what to say. She was going to die? Heero lifted a hand, cutting him off.

"You weren't there," he said coldly. "After Quatre was in the Zero... when she thought she'd killed you. She felt horrible for destroying that colony, she felt horrible for the many, many other deaths she'd caused, would cause, but it was the thought of you dying at her hands that really undid her. I don't know what you feel, but I can safely guess at her feelings. To put one persons death above hundreds, maybe thousands? She lied to you, yes. She lied to all of us. But think past that. If she had a choice... if she had to chose between saving herself or you? Who do you think she would choose? Well... scratch that. She'd give her life for anyone she cared about remotely. But... what if it was you and someone else? Or even if it was between you and Iria? You and Duo? You and Rashid? You and any other single person? It would be you each time. I'm no expert on emotions, and I have limited experience with most of them. But If you ask me... that sounds alot like love."

*******************************************************************************************************************

He leaned down, brushed a kiss across her forehead. Sweet and gentle and sad. Brushing a strand of blonde hair back from her face, he reached for her left hand, the one without the plastic hospital ID tag, and slipped the silver chain around her wrist.

The doctors didn't want him up so soon, less than hours after the transplant. But it looked like his little angel would make a full recovery- and he didn't plan on being anywhere around when she finally woke up. Or ever again, he thought. Staring at her pale, beautiful face, Trowa blinked back a tear and feathered his fingers over the chain.

No, he thought. He wasn't that brave. And he wasn't that forgiving. He leaned down once more, but this time, the light, feather-like kiss he dropped met her lips. She moved a little in her drug-induced sleep, murmered something unintelligible. Trowa backed up, and let go of her hand.

"I love you, my little one," he whispered softly, quietly.

And then, he left.

*******************************************************************************************************************

Quatre blinked her eyes open. Damn, that was annoying. The damned sunlight filtering in though the closed curtains... and that stupid hospital bracelet. She moved to yank it off, but stopped when her hand encountered cool, twisted metal- and on the wrong wrist. She lifted her arm, and glanced at the bracelet, the slight silver chain.

"Awake at last?" Duo asked, cheerfully. She didn't look at him. She could feel his presense. Rashids, Heero's, even Wufei's.

"What? I thought..."

"We found a donor," Heero said cooly.

"And you'll never beleive who," Duo chiruped. There was only one presense she couldn't sense.

Quatre was staring at the bracelet, her arm held up in front of her, reading the elegant little script on the single oval charm. _mon ange', _on one side. And...on the other...

_My little one, my angel._

"Trowa," she sobbed, and broke down crying.

Her heart was breaking all over again.

Because she'd woken up twice... only to find him gone.

**AN: Well? How's things heating up for you? Quatre's alive! Yay! Woohoo! But she dosen't seem to happy. Aw... poor kitty Quat. I'm so cruel, aren't I?**


	6. Chapter 6

**AN: Another Two For One. Sorry it took so long to update!**

**Someone That You're With**

**"Instead of winning what I want, I'm sitting here in second place."**

"Trowa... turn that off," Cathy snapped, walking by and turning the Television off herself, planting a hand on her hip. Trowa made no move to stop her, no sound. Truthfully, he was grateful. She and he both knew he was just tormenting himself with that thing. All the meetings and media coverage of them.

And she was always there. Right alongside Releena, there she was. With her father recently dead, she was once again in favor with her family... and now, the closest thing to a leader it had. Openly supporting the peace, she was as much a driving force for the world as Releena was. He watched her on TV, every day. Watched as she changed so quickly from the boy he'd known into a young woman. Her hair had grown out ever so slightly, her bangs swept aside, out of her eyes, and but it was still as pale and unmanageable as he remembered. She'd traded in the button down shirt and slimming jeans in favor of more prim- more feminine- pantsuits, dress suits, and more formal wear. She sported pearls around her neck most of the time he saw her on TV. Pearls seemed to be her favorite. And he had to admit... they suited her. A classic elegance that became her.

And it didn't escape his attention that every flick of her wrist sent his little gift shimmering in the light. Every time he saw her, every time she was in public, surrounded by media, there it was. A little beacon, reminding him of what he'd lost... what he'd almost lost... and what he could never regain.

"Trowa..." Cathy's voice was soft, worried. "Stop torturing yourself. I hate to see you like this. And I... Trowa, I don't want you to..."

"I'm not going to kill myself, Cathy," he said without even looking at her. "I... I don't know what I'm going to do."

"You miss him... her, whatever. I always knew something was up with that kid. But you miss her. Go to her, and quite moping about."

"You don't understand, Cathy. It's not that simple," he said, getting up and walking out of the room.

She stared after him. "Oh, Trowa," she whispered to the night. "It is that simple. If only you could see it."

He'd thought a walk in the cool night would calm him down, settle his thoughts, but they didn't. His mind and heart were in turmoil- just like they always were these days- as he wound his way through the circus tents, meandering with no particular purpose or destination.

A light chuckle made him look down a side alley. The only light was a nearby campfire, and he cold barely make out the two figures heading his way.

"Sandy... sandy, stop. You're going to break my arm off!"

Trowa could see a petite, slim figuer and a dog make their way towards the fire.

Suddenly, he stopped dead, his heart pounding. That blonde hair brushing just to her shoulders, that slim waist- now clad in tight blue jeans and a simple blue sweater. Those heartbreakingly beautiful teal eyes.

"Quatre?" he asked, unbeleivably. It had been months since he'd last been this close to her. Since that night in the hospital, when she was unconcious, when he'd softly kissed her and slipped the bracelet on her arm. And now, here she was, being drug by an enormous solid white Great Pyrennes that had to outweigh her by some sixty or more pounds.

"Trowa..." She stumbled to a halt, and cast her eyes down. She nervously ran her hand through her hair. She swallowed, and after a moment of mutal silence, she spoke.

"Trowa... I... Thank you. I never got to say it. You left. I..."

He looked up at her. She was staring at him now, like she was drinking in the sight of him standing there in the firelight. A tear sparkled down her cheek. He had to catch his breath. God, she was beautiful.

"I miss you," she finished softly.

"You seem happy with your life," he said, hiding his pain with a curt voice. He saw her flinch. The dog gave a light growl, and laid back his ears, sinking to the ground.

"I miss you," she repeated. "I almost miss the war. Almost. It was easier. I miss those days when we were all just together. Almost like the world didn't exist. I miss those nights... I miss hearing you play the flute. My whole life was devoted to the violin until the war. I'd never heard anyone play any instrument like I did my violin. But you... It was beautiful. And when we played together? Magic. I miss you, Trowa. There's simply no joy in life anymore. So few reasons to smile, but even fewer without you. I miss you."

"No explanations? No trying to reason with me? Plead for forgiveness?" Where did this scorn come from? Why was he being so cruel, so hateful when all he wanted to do was gather her up in his arms.

She shook her head softly. "I had my reasons, and I told them to you. You don't need me to beg. I won't. I have my pride. Which I set aside by coming here. Trowa, I paced by the phone. I hate it, I hate being alone. For months, I was alone. All I wanted was to see you again. Do you have any idea how much I love you?"

His heart jerked at her words. She loved him! From her own lips came that confession. So why was he not going to her? Why was he not returning her words, why was he not showing her how much he'd missed her, too?

"Do you have any idea how much you hurt me? Quatre..." It was more than just the lie. It hurt that she lied but... she had felt like she couldn't trust him. After everything they'd gone through together... she'd still not trusted him enough to tell him she loved him... she'd still not trusted him enough to tell him her secret.

"Trowa... I love you. But if you can't find it in your heart to love me back... lies, flaws, and all... I...."

"Quatre... go away." His voice was cold, hard. "Just... go."

She sighed heavily, and he saw another tear slip down her face. She said nothing, merely turned and walked away with her dog on her heels.

**AN: Alright, Trowa's just being a jerk now. Poor Quat. Can they ever get past this? Will Trowa stop being a jerk? Read and find out. Puppy treats, remember?**


	7. Chapter 7

**Rockstar**

**"This life hasn't turned out quite the way I want it to be."**

"You what?" Duo was yelling at him. "You told her to go away? You're stupid. You know that? You're an idiot, an imbicile! If the person I loved came up to me and told me they loved me... I'd be weeping for joy and throwing myself at their feet. And she's standing there crying, pouring her heart out... and you tell her to just go?"

"Yes," he replied, feeling horrible already. Nothing Duo could say could make it worse. But it didn't mean he liked Duo yelling at him.

"You're stupid, Trowa. A real jerk. You should tell her how you really feel. You should trust her. Just go tell the one you love how you feel."

"Like you go and tell Heero how much you love him?" He asked scornfully, waiting for the outburst, the outrage. Or for him to laugh it off like the joke it was meant to be. But it never came. Duo stilled, quietened, and blushed a soft shade of red.

Trowa looked floundered for a moment, confused. What the hell? He'd only been joking. Surely...

"Ah, shit. Duo- I didn't know. I was just joking. I didn't know..."

"Trowa," Duo said calmly, "This dosen't leave this room. You know nothing."

"Ah, shit. Duo, I'm sorry."

"And anyways... we weren't talking about me. We were talking about how stupid you are being. Acting like some spoiled brat. And I can remember a time when she was the spoiled brat, now that I think about it. I think that you should go talk to her. Trust me... everyone will feel better if you two patch things up a bit. You're driving me crazy... and she's about to bit Releena's head off, or so Releena and Heero tell me."

Trowa didn't catch the softening of his braided friends voice when he said 'Releena and Heero'. God, and he'd thought only he had problems. Poor Duo.

This life hadn't turned out quite like Trowa had wanted it to. With Quatre, it had been better. But now?

Life certainly wasn't like he wanted it. Could it ever be?

"Those who cannot forgive others break the bridge over wich they themselves must pass," Wufei said evenly.

Trowa blinked at him. Was he going to start in on him too?

"What's that? Some fortune cookie crap?" he asked, trying to hide himself with the scathing, sarcastic words.

"Confucius," Wufei replied easily. "He was a wise man. You'd do well to heed his words."

Trowa sighed.

"Wufei, don't start. I've made up my mind. I just don't see why everyone can't just let it be."

"You're our friend," Wufei shrugged. "We want the best for you. And we want the best for her... because she is our friend as well. And frankly, Quatre's the best for you."

"It dosen't matter. I feel blind. I can't see the joy in anything. Not without her. But with her, I can't see past her lies. Lies or blindness? Could you choose?"

Wufei patted his shoulder. "The best and most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen, nor touched... but are felt in the heart."

"Confusius, again?" Trowa asked a little sarcastically.

Wufei just smiled. "No. Hellen Keller."

He looked at the screen, at the reporter, and at her. Prim. Elegant. Sweet. Strong. She was an enigma, a wonderful paradox of contradictions. And every peice of him loved her. Despite how much he didn't want to. And so, even against his better judgement, he watched every glimpse of her he could. Even these pathetic interviews with pathetic reporters. Like some crazy stalker. Obsessed much?

"Miss Winner? The public is interested in your private life. Do you have any comments for them?"

"My private life is just that," she said kindly, smiling. "Private, that is. I have my friends. I have my family. My job keeps me busy more than I like. I like to cuddle with my dog. What more is there to want to know?"

"What about your love life? There have been rumors linking you romantically to a Preventors agent by the name of Duo Maxwell. Is any of it true?"

Trowa blinked. How the hell had he missed those rumors? he certainly hadn't heard them.

She laughed. Not the sweet, melodical laugh normally used for the cameras, but more of a very un-ladylike snort. "Oh, goodness. No. No. He's just a friend. An old friend, but there's nothing more there."

"Well, then. Is there anyone special in your life, then? Boyfriend, lover, admirer? Or are you 'on the market' so to speak?"

She wrinkled her nose, but a small frown ghosted over her face for a moment. Unconsiously, she toyed with the silver bracelet, and that little action didn't escape Trowa's attention.

"My heart already belongs to someone. Sorry, but that's all I'll say on that."

Trowa's heart skipped a beat as the reporter moved on to more questions. After all he'd said. All he'd done. After he'd not forgiven her, told her to go away. She still loved him after all of that. Maybe... maybe she didn't want to love him. Maybe she'd tried not to. But she did! She still loved him.

Maybe Duo was right. Maybe... just maybe... there could be a future. Maybe it was time for the silent Trowa Barton to speak up.

**AN: Sorrry so short, but it served it's purpose. Again with the poor Duo. And I really like the dense Trowa. Kinda fits, I think. 'Cause some guys are just plain clueless!**

**And please, please REVEIW! I'm getting alot of people adding this to their alert lists and favorites list, but I'm not getting that many REVEIWS! I'm losing my will to finish this story, because no one will REVEIW! Except for a certain few faithful readers- you know who you are. Please... at this point, even flames are welcome. I'ts getting kinda cold....**


	8. Chapter 8

**If Everyone Cared**

**"I never dreamed that you'd be mine. But here we are, we're here tonight."**

He looked aprehensively at the hotel room door. Her room was heavily guarded, but hey, he was an ex-Gundam pilot. A few guards was no problem. He thought momentarily about simply knocking on the door. But he decided against it. She probably wouldn't open the door, anyway. Love him or not, she probably didn't want to speak with him at all.

So he picked the lock. A simple task for one as experienced as him. Duo could have probably done it quieter. Heero probably could have done it quicker. But he was fast and effecient enough.

He pushed the door open gently, stepped in and looked at the prim, warm, honey colored room with rose accents. It was dark, the lights were off. Was she asleep? He was pretty sure she'd be here this late... but.. He was lost in the paniced thought for a moment. And he almost missed the clicking of a pistol.

"Turn around," she commanded as the lights suddenly flared on. "Trowa?"

He spun around. She stood by the wall behind the door, one hand on a lightswitch, one hand holding a gun level at his chest. For all her looks, for everything she was now- lady, diplomate, politician, bussinesswoman... she was still a gundam pilot at heart. She swung the gun down, away.

"Trowa? What the hell are you doing? I could have shot you!"

He looked at her, and tried not to let his emotions all flow out at once. Her hair was pale, touseled by sleep. And she didn't wear one of those silky, revealing nightgowns Cathy was fond of. She wore a tank-top and shorts in cool, clean sky blue. Her houseshoes were bright, fuzzy pink rabbits. And there was a gun in her hand.

She was beautiful.

"Quatre... I..."

"What are you doing here, Trowa? What do you want?" Her voice was exasperated, pained. "I've already apologized. And you've already disregarded it. I placed my heart in your hands... and you told me to go away."

"Quatre... I'm so stupid."

It must not have been what she was expecting. She blinked, set the gun on the foyer table. Turned slightly away from him to re-lock the door. Staying as still as he could, he simply poured his heart out all at once, in a rush.

"I'm so stupid. I'm blind. I've been an idiot. Quatre... I love you. It hurt me when I though that you didn't trust me, that you felt you had to not only lie to me in the first place... but to keep pretending. The person I feel in love with was a boy... but it was still you. It took me so long to see it. I wanted to make things so complicated. But it's really simple, isn't it? You loved me, I loved you. It wasn't so hard as I tried to make it. It took time, and it took a lot of people telling me how stupid I was... but I finally understood. Quatre... I love you. And I don't care about the lies. I love you- as you are, were and everythign in between... and I miss you... and I don't want to live without you. Can you forgive me for being so stupid, for being so cruel and careless? For sending you away?"

She had her back to him, hands still on the door- partly to hold herself up. She didn't want to look at his face. Maybe it was all just a dream? Maybe she was still asleep? Goodness knows she'd dreamed about this often enough. Every night. He'd just spoken more in one minute than he did on most whole days. She placed a hand on her heart. She could feel his pain, a different kind of pain this time. She could feel his love.

She turned around, and smiled softly at him.

"Trowa, we've both been idiots. I've been blind too. Even I couldn't see what was right in front of me. I wanted you... but I couldn't see that you wanted me, too. I love you. I've loved you for a long, long time. I'm so sorry for not trusting you. But I had my reasons. At the time, I thought they were good ones. But I wouldn't trade a minute of it. Every second with you... I will always love that, cherish it. I wouldn't give away a bit of it. I'll only forgive you if you forgive me."

Suddenly she was caught up in his arms. His face buried in her hair, his arms tight around her.

"There's nothing to forgive, little one," he whispered into her ear. And then, his lips were on hers. She sighed, nearly cried at the beauty of it. Their first kiss. She wondered at the sheer grace, elegance of that kiss. How could one simple thing as a mere meeting of lips bring such... such feelings? Her heart felt like it was on fire, it could barely contain the emotions torrenting through her. Hers, his, all melding together for the space of that one, beautiful, amazing second.

Slowly, she brought her hands up, so that her fingers could run through his bangs, smooth across his skin, brush his cheeks. She was surprised to feel wetness there. She brushed her own. They were wet, too. She was crying... and so was he.

But she wasn't sad. For the first time since the war, for the first time since that one moment in the desert where she'd played violin and Trowa had accompanied her, a duet of flute and violin, lost to the world for that small little time... she was completely utterly happy.

**AN: Again with the sorry it's so short. And I'll apologize for all the sap. But don't worry. It's not over yet. (We've still gotta do something bout Heero and Duo. And give Duo a chance to tease Quatre. Which brings me to my question for all of yall.... How should I get Heero and Duo together? WITHOUT making Releena into a bitch- cause I actually kinda like her. Leave me you're thoughts, cause I'm not going to update until I get reveiws!!!! Yeah, PS- thanks for all the awesome reveiws. And sorry for being such a bitch. I had a bad day) Oh, and I've only got the next chapter already written, where usually I have at l east two or three more. So I really, really need help here. All ideas are welcome. Flames will be cherished, because at least it means you're reveiwing! Anyway, TTFN!**


	9. Chapter 9

**AN: Sorry for the wait..... but I just couldn't help it! I'm getting married! Yay! Jeff proposed Christmas morning! So now... I'm kinda busy with planning everything. We're thinking of Valentine's Day... since he did propose on Christmas....**

**Anyway enough about me... let's hear about Trowa and Quatre.....**

**Follow You Home**

**"And I'll stay alive, just to follow you home."**

Catherine smiled. Trowa was happy, finally. At last. She would catch him whistling or humming while doing menial tasks. She would catch him flicking to the chanel every time _she _was on there. But there was no sadness in the action now, he was smiling, laughing. He was happy.

Catherine managed to keep herself from inquiring as to what exactly had occured between her brother and his new love, but she still wondered.

Obviously, they had kissed and made up.

She knew that Quatre Winner wasprobably the best thing to ever happen to her brother, and while she wished they would slow down just a bit, she knew that it was more worry for losing her brother so soon after finding him, and not worry over the quickness of their relationship.

There were never two people more perfect for each other than those two.

So, she smiled as he left for the night, and she knew he was going to her.

His own personal angel.

"You look happy," Releena commented from the side of her mouth. Quatre smiled back, a small blush tinting her cheeks.

"That's cause somebody's getting some when she gets home," Duo interupted, having overheard their conversation. There was a huge grin plastered over his face as he teased the blonde pilot.

"Oh, really?" Releena asked, intrigued. Her sky blue eyes lit up, and a small smile played over her lips.

"Apparantly Trowa's coming over," Duo said. Quatre remained silent, however.

"Hmm. That's intersting," Releena hummed carefully.

Quatre scowled at her best friend. "Why don't you just go.... go kiss Wufei or something!"

Releena fell silent, a bright blush spreading across her face.

"Oh," Quatre said. "You already have. Hmm. That's interesting."

Duo laughed, but it wasn't quite as merry as the one before. This laugh was somewhat... crazy? Releived? "Releena and Wuffles? Huh, never would have thought of that one. Always figured you'd go for Heero."

"Heero made it clear he dosen't think of me like that," Releena said easily.

"Hmm. Well," Duo said, changing the subject back. "It took you and Trow long enough, Quat."

He was meet with silence.

"And ya'll had to be so melodramatic about it, too." He threw his hand around himself and made 'kissy noises' and then gagged. "I'm sorry-forgive me." "No, I'm sorry- you forgive me." Geesh, ya'll watch too many soap operas..." He rushed on up ahead, opening the car door for the two women.

"We're gonna have to set him and Heero up aren't we?" Quatre asked Releena when their braided bodyguard was out of earshot.

"Hmm," the Peacecraft girl hummed. "You know... I never even thought of it that way. But those two... hmm. I think you're right, Miss Winner. An excellent 'peace' strategy if I do say so myself."

"Indeed, Madame Vice Foreign Minister. Truely an excellent 'peace' strategy. But now... it's time to go back to the hotel." Her grin suddenly broke through and she dashed on up ahead, tossing her words over her shoulder. "'Cause I'm pretty sure Duo's right... Trowa's coming over!"

Releena laughed after her, glad that her best friend was finally able to smile and mean it.

Quatre smiled brightly when she entered the dimly lit hotel room. Duo was right. Trowa was waiting for her, laying quite contentadly on the hotel room sofa, his long legs streached out lazily, his shoulders proped up on an armrest. Sandy was curled up, peacefully asleeep, in the floor by the couch, and Trowas's hand was buried deep within her snow-white fur. The dog didn't even blink an eye when Quatre entered the room. Quatre watched the deep rise and fall of her lover's chest for a moment, thinking that maybe he'd fallen asleep. But then a single emerald eye opened to look at her.

"Made yourself at home, I see," she said, her voice a mocking scorn. But her lips were smiling.

"Why not? This is your home, isn't it?" He wasn't the least rebuffed or put off by her comment. He watched her from that one visible eye.

"For the moment, at least," she shrugged, slipping out of her suit jacket, letting those annoying pinchy-toed shoes follow.

"That's why I'm here. Quatre... I'll always follow you home."

His face was so serious, his voice so calm and controlled, so she grinned cheekily, walking forward and stepping around the dog.

"Like Sandy?"

Trowa laughed at that, and Quatre lowered herself on top of him, streatching the lenght of her body over his. She folded her arms under her chin, looking amusidly up at him from under her eyelashes.

"Well... I'm not exactly a dog, now am I?"

He brought his hand away from said canine, favoring to bury it in Quatre's hair instead, brushing the pale blonde locks away from her face as his other hand idly traced invisible patterns down her back.

"No," Quatre agreed, her lips seeking out his for a hungry, passionate kiss. It was minutes later when she surfaced for air. She smiled, her lips curving against his, her breath mixing with his.

"You're much, much better."

**AN: Goodness... I'm running out of material... and I still have two chapters to go. Chances are we're gonna get short again. And all ideas for getting Heero and Duo together are welcome... I just can't come up with a diabolical way befitting the genious of both Quatre and Releena... well, I can think of one... but I've already used it- and I'm out of chocolate syrup at the moment. Please? For the sake of Duo and Heero? Help?**

**And PS... I will do no Releena bashing! I like her! (And I think she and Wuffers make a cute couple.)**


	10. Chapter 10

**Next Contestant**

**"Here comes the next contestant."**

"What?"

Heero was rarely confused. He was rarely caught off guard. And he presently stared at Releena like she was speaking in an utterly foreign language.

"It's simple really, Heero. Princess Marina's(1a) bodyguard fell sick. And since the ruler of the newly reformed Azadistan(1b) must attend this meeting with me, and Quatre, She needs protection. So... it's going to be you," Releena said as simply as she could.

"..."

"Good. Now that it's all settled... I'm meeting Quatre for lunch. You're dismissed."

"...."

Heero stared after Releena as she walked out of the office, a decided hop in her step. He sighed. Nothing he could do about it now. And plus... it was just for a few days, right?

And surely this Princess Marina couldn't be more annoying than Releena, right?

"So... Heero, right? How long have you been in Miss Darlian's guard?"

"..."

"So... not very talkative are we?"

"..."

Heero remained silent. The dark haired girl was about twenty-five, but she had a most talkative personality.

The princess was curently strolling through Releena's private gardens... and Heero, as her guard, was duty-bound to accompany her. He personally thought she didn't have quite the diplomatic hand that Releena did, even if she craved peace just as much.

"Hmm. Look at those. White roses. Rose for love, white for purity. Lovely, aren't they?"

"Love isn't pure." He replied absently, looking at the rambling bush coered in snow white flowers.

She blinked at him, her round blue eyes going wide.

"He speaks!" She said in a shocked tone as her eyes laughed. Heero ducked his head.

"Ah. Not pure? How can something like love not be pure? To quote, Love is patient, love is kind. Love does not..."

"Love is corrupt," Heero interupted. "It's sole purpose is to make life miserable..." He thought of Duo for just a fleeting moment. "Love doesn't comply with the rules of nature or physics. It's unpredicteable and dangerous. Love is a liability."

Marina laughed, and slipped her arm through Heero's. He blinked for a moment, but they he permitted the contact as the paused, looking at the rosebush.

"Ah, but that's the beauty of it, Heero. It dosen't fit in. It's completely a law unto itself. It is unpredictable, it can be dangerous. And it can be a liability. But it's so much more. It can help you focus. It can bring your priorities in line. It can make life miserable... but it can add so much pleasure to it as well. Isn't there anyone you love, Heero? Isn't there someone whom you couldn't bear to lose? Someone who gives meaning to life?"

Again his thoughts turned to Duo, but this time, he permitted the thoughts to stay.

"Hai," he said softly.

She looked at him from under her lashes, studying him.

"Hmm. So... who is she? Does she know? What's she like?"

The questions were fired off so quick that Heero didn't have time to register that the princess had said 'she'.

"An old friend. No. And.... lovely. Nay... beautiful." Violet eyes and chesnut hair loomed in his mind. "Vibrant, full of life. Maybe a little haunted.... but we all have our own demons." Memories of those violet eyes darkened, that alter-ego Shinigami. "Dedicated, loyal." The way Duo's stood by Quatre every single step of the way, through the lies and all. "Not fearless, but courageous anyway."

Marina laughed. "She must be very lucky to have you love her."

"Bu... I don't lo..." Heero paused. Was that this feeling? Could that be this emotion he couldn't place? Was that the reason he'd changed his mission to save Duo from that prison? Was that why he hadn't killed the other pilot the first chance he'd had? Was that why he couldn't stand to be away from him?

Marina smiled, turned to face Heero, pulling his hands into hers, clasping them tight. She was a romantic at heart, despite the hardships of her life.

"Oh, I think you do. You might not know it yet, but you do. I can hear it in your voice. Love is a wonderous thing, Heero. Don't let it slip through your fingers. Go and tell her how you feel."

"Maybe...." he muttered. "Maybe."

Marina laughed and smiled, leaned up to brush her lips across Heero's cheek.

No one saw the violet eyes of the boy paused just on the other side of the rosebush. No one saw them darken with pain, confusion, and jelousy. No one saw him.... but he'd seen and heard enough.

**AN: Yay! I finally updated. Been shopping for my dress... and dresses for my bridesmaids (my sister Ruth and my BFF's Heather and Delana)**

**Many, many, many thanks and lots and lots of huggles to turntofacethisway for the excellent reveiw. It was like a truckload of carrots for my plot bunnies. But now, it seems those bunnies have rabies. **

**Oh, and the notes for 1a and 1b. For those of you familiar with Gundam 00, this isn't the same girl, obviously. Kinda like her great, great, great (you get the idiea) grandaughter. Same with the country. I'm betting that after so long being absorbed into other nations, it'll have a bit of a rocky start going on its own again. And Marina- the original one- reminds me so much of Releena. Uh... I'll shut up now before I start on how much Allelujah reminds me of Trowa...............**


	11. Chapter 11

**Photograph**

**"You can't erase, you can't replace it..."**

Duo had searched high and low for the pair, before a cleaning maid told him that the 'princess' had requested to walk in the gardens. Duo went in search, bypassing the labryinth- the hedge maze, and praying that they'd stayed in the rose garden.

Bingo. He could hear talking. He approached, but a large bush of white roses stood between him and the pair. He was about to walk around when he paused, the voices becoming clear.

"What's she like?"

That was Marina... the Azadistani princess. Duo frowned for a moment. Who were they talking about?

"An old friend," That was Heero's voice. That soft, low whisper. "No... and lovely. Nay... beautiful."

This really made Duo frown. Who in the world did Heero think was beautiful? Maybe.... Releena? No. Duo shook his head. Releena wasn't interested in Heero... and Heero most definately could not think Releena beautiful.... or could he?

Duo moved just a hair, and between the branches of the rose bush, he could see the two. Marina's arm was wrapped around Heero's, and they were looking into each other's eyes. Duo was not happy.

"Dedicated. Loyal. Not fearless, but courageous anyway."

Duo's frown grew. That sounded.... that sounded an awful lot like Quatre. She was the only one Duo know who was beautiful, loyal, dedicated. And he knew Quatre had fears... but she stood up to them. Duo didn't know what this feeling was. He.... he knew it was unfounded, ridiculous, but he couldn't help feeling as little bit of hate towards his blonde friend. How dare she? How could Trowa let her become an object of Heero's obsession? And how dare Heero? Pining after Quatre? Quatre was taken, damnit!

"She must be very lucky to have you love her," Marina admitted.

"But... I do...." Heero paused in his denial. Duo's breath caught. Marina pulled Heero's hands into hers, turned to face him. From Duo's vantage point, all he saw was Heero's back.

"Oh, I think you do. You might not know it yet, but you do. I can hear it in your voice. Love is a wonderous thing, Heero. Don't let it slip through your fingers. Go and tell her how you feel."

"Maybe," Heero whispered. "Maybe...."

Duo's eyes widened in shock. From where he was standing, he could see Marina rise to her toes, and lean forward.

She kissed him!

Here Heero was talking about Quatre... and this princess hauls of and kisses him!

Duo felt sick and faint. He felt a little dizzy.

"Heero! Princess Marina!"

Duo looked up sharply. Quatre was running down the rose flanked aisle, Trowa in tow.

Duo frowned. Oh, how was this happening? Why?

"Princess M.... Duo? Is that you?"

Duo plastered his mask over his face, smiling as he stepped around the bush, acting like he'd just walked up.

"Hiya, Quat. Oi.. Heero, Releena wanted to see the princess in her office before the conference tonight."

Marina nodded. Duo watched as Quatre's smile faded, and she looked at him oddly.

Damn it. He'd forgotten her empathy. She could probably see right through that mask of his.

"That's just what I was looking for you two for, anyway," Quatre said, shrugging. Her smile came back a little, and Duo silently thanked her, knowing that while she might not say anything now... he would be cornered later and throroughly interrogated.

"Oh, that's fine," Marina smiled, seemingly as if nothing had been interupted. The five of them walked to where Duo had came from, ambling up under the stone columns that held the roof of the courtyard up. "Me and Heero here were just finished with our walk and a little chit-chat. Come on... let's not keep Releena wai...."

That was all Duo heard. Because all of a sudden, the ground shook and an awful rumbling blast filled the air. Quatre let out sound of surprise, almost a yell, and Trowa grabbed at her, keeping her from falling to the ground. Duo dropped to his knees to keep his balance and watched in horror as one of the stone columns crack, crumbled, and began to fall in. Quatre's eyes widened in shock as Heero saw the column, and that he and the princess lay in it's path. Heero grabbed her arm, and pushed, shoving her away from him, towards Quatre and Trowa. Another column was hit with debris and followed suit. Quatre grabbed at the princess, and Trowa ended up pulling them both to safety, back into the capital building. Duo screamed, made to race in after Heero, but a whoosh of air as one of the falling columns made contact with the ground pushed him back, sending him sprawling back into the gardens. White dust rose up as the columns impacted the ground. In the near distance, Duo made out a line of black smoke rising up, from the direction of the conference rooms. The capital building had been bombed. It was on fire. But Duo didn't care. That wasn't why he was screaming as he struggled to his feet, dust clinging to his braid, to his clothes. That wasn't why tears were threatening to fall.

It was because Duo hadn't seen Heero leave.

Heero Yuy was under all that crumbled stone.

**AN: Aie! Another cliffy? God, I'm horrible. But you love me anyway, right? And yes... I know I said 11 chaps top, but I guess I'm gonna start in with the Dark Horse CD next, cause like I said... turntofacethisway gave my plot bunnies rabies, and now they have gone mad and wont sit down and me and my muse are having a hard time controling them. They're kinda getting away from me here...**

**Oh... and we've set the date. We're not aiming for Valentine's day, now. We've decided to wait for April Fools day- Jeff's dad's birthday. We're going to go get Jeff fitted for his tux this weekend... and try to decide between lavender and maroon for my bridesmaids dresses.... I'm leaning towards lavender.**


	12. Chapter 12

Dedicated to turntofacethisway, for the plot on how to get Duo and Heero together. Huggles!

And now for the conclusion to All The Right Reasons!

**If Today Was Your Last Day**

**"Leave no stone unturned, leave your fears behind..."**

"Heero!"

It was a strangled sob that tore itself from Duo's throat. He threw himself forward, tearing at the rubble of the stone columns, blinking back tears. A few fell, leaving tracks in the dust that coated his skin.

"Oh, God! Heero!"

It was useless. Duo fell to his knees, staring at the rubble and not holding back the tears anymore.

"God! Oh. I don't care! Let him love Marina, Quatre! Oh, whoever the hell he wants to! I don't give a damn. Just take it all back. Don't let this be the end. I... just wanted a chance to say 'I love you.' And now it's too late. Oh, Heero, I love you." HIs voice trailed off as the true impact of what just happened hit him.

Heero. Was. Gone.

All during the war, Duo hadn't shed a tear. But for some reason, after the war... tears seemed to come naturally. They'd come when he thought Quatre was going to die. And they flowed down his face as he stared in silence at where Heero Yuy had been standing minutes before.

"Duo?"

He blinked, hearing his name being called, but he didn't look up.

"Duo?"

He raised his head, looking up at the familiar figure clamboring over the stones. The late afternoon sun was streaming down, and for a moment Duo thought he was seeing things. An angel, perhaps.

But angels weren't covered in dust. Their clothes weren't scuffed, ripped, and torn. And they wouldn't be calling his name in a soft, sweet, confused voice.

"He..." Duo stared in awe before launching hiself straight into Heero's arms.

"Heero!"

The 01 pilot staggered back as the weight of the braided 02 pilot hurtled into him.

"Duo?"

"Oh, Heero! You're alive! I thought you.... I thought... I didn't see... Oh, Heero!"

"Duo?"

"Huh? Yeah?" Duo pulled back just a little to look at his comrade and friend.

"Ow."

"Huh?"

Duo backed up, only then realizing that he'd been squeezing Heero quite tightly around the chest.

"Oh. Sorry. Status?"

"Cracked rib. Sprained shoulder. Duo?"

"Yeah?"

"Did you mean that?"

"What?"

"What you just said a moment ago. Did you mean that?"

Duo flushed.

"Um... eh... I, um... I...he, um...."

"Duo?"

"Ya?"

"I'll take that as an affirmative."

"Huh?"

But before Duo could articulate any more than that confused 'huh', Heero's lips were pressed up against his, effectively cutting off any further mumblings or stutterings.

Marina frowned as she stood up, brushing dust off her dress.

"I take it that's the 'dedicated, loyal, and beautiful' one he was talking about?" She asked Quatre.

The blonde Arab shrugged, but Trowa could see the smiling little glint in her teal eyes.

Releena panted as she and a contingent of guards skidded to a stop.

"What happened?" She demaned, before she caught sight of her two top guards standing upon a mountain of rubble, lips locked in a quite torrid kiss.

She raised an eyebrow.

"Huh," she said. "Well whaddaya know?"

"Quatre..." Trowa said sharply. "You wouldn't have had anything to do with all of this would you?"

Quatre's mouth opened in shock.

"Wha...? Trowa? The capital building just got bombed!" Quatre stared at him with horror written on her face. "You think I did that just to get those two together? I... wha... How could you!"

Thoroughly chastized, Trowa wrapped an arm around her waist and kissed her cheek.

"You're right, mon ange'. That was kind of stupid of me. Stay here with Releena while I go see what happened."

She nodded, and watched her lover's back as he left. She caught Releena's gaze and gave a little smile.

A smile that was returned.

Marina's eyebrow raised. "Somehow, I can't beleive he fell for that."

Quatre shrugged... and her reply was as follows.

"Actually... this wasn't part of the plan- the whole explosion and everything. Me and Releena didn't get a chance to play matchmakers. Oh, well. Cest la vie."

Marina nodded, seeing the logic... but she didn't notice two pairs of crossed fingers. Or two knowing little smiles.

But then again... cest la vie.

~Owari~

**AN: YAYYYYYYYYYY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I finished! The end. Done. Fine.**

**I'm finally through! Yipee! It's been one heck of a ride, but I'm finally done! Huggles to all my reveiwers, and thank you sooooooooooooooooooooooooo much. I really loved writting this, and I really loved all the reveiws I got. And yeah, this song is Nickleback, too... but it's from the new CD, DarkHorse. **

**So... thoughts on what I should do next? I've got a 2xOC ready to go. And a pretty long 1x2, 3x4. Leave me your thoughts! And any thoughts for a new, completely different fic. Who knows... maybe my bunnies can get rabies again.**


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